Playing With Fire
by Rhavis
Summary: Soldiers from mellenia into the future are pulled back into the end of the Nineth pass when a freak accident forces past and future to collide.
1. Fall From Grace

Disclaimer: I do not own the Dragon Riders of Pern though it would be very cool if I did because then I would be as rich as Anne McCaffery and her son who do own it.

This story follows two soldiers from a future of death and war as a freak accident durring a fight sucks them back into the past to the end of the nineth pass of the Red star.

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**Chapter One: Fall From Grace**

_Years come and go, and stories that are fact, fade to legend, then to Myth, then are finally lost to time. But some things stay forever. The history of the Ninth Pass of the Red Star past Pern was told for millennia to young minds. The history of each individual during the pass was lost. Yet the story of how Weyrwoman Lessa and Weryleader F'lar saved the world from Thread. Yet even as they are still remembered the Pernease people returned to their original technology level. That in urn led those with imagination, along with the Dragons of Pern to advance that level of technology. So when the FSP finally reached their colony they came face-to-face with an independent Union. A fleet of ships that seemed to be civilian proved to be more dangerous then any had thought possible. Armed with dragons that had honed their telepathic abilities the ship had shields that could withstand as much hammering as the Dragons assigned to the ships could withstand. Years later a war broke out between the FSP and a race known as the Mioko, a race of spider-like beings. During the first year of the war the FSP were suffering massive casualties. But then Pern entered the war to honor the connection to their past: and the Mioko had met a force they could not combat. Dragons, retrofitted with armor that enabled improved-space flight that could allow re-entry to the fighters so they could take over as Arial-fighters also. The war had quickly turned in favor for the FSP, yet the Mioko quickly tried to compensate. New Mirage fighters proved to by extremely effective against Dragons, yet the Pernease proved that even they could compensate. The new Silver Flight was created, and the Mirage Fighters had met them blow-for-blow. Though the Silver Flight had proven far more effective against the new machines they still suffered high casualties. Fearing the death of more dragons Pernease bioengineers started on a new project. Using the remnant DNA from the Queen Ramoth, and the Bronze Mnementh, along with the White Ruth, they created what they called the New Breed. The enhanced human R'gent was paired with the experiment's only survivor, Archon. The pair was bio-programmed with a battle-mode that made them highly efficient killers: Pern's Super soldiers. Yet they had a fatal flaw. The turn off switches proved to be ineffective, and the only one who was able to shut them off were the Queen Dragon Lylith, and her rider Norah._

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The human fleet had assaulted the Spider's most heavily defended planet in the system. Relock was a suicide attempt without the reinforcements Pern had promised the massive fleet. But Pern had always delivered. Fighters and ships traded blows as the skies above the planet turned into a hell. Spider and Human ships both turned each other into so much debris as they traded fire. Flames blossomed from breached hulls and star fire tore at armored carapaces and shielding. Then the promised forces arrived. Four ships that could out-weigh any of the other ships suddenly just appeared. Spider ships tried to retreat, and Human ships lashed out in triumph as shapes swarmed en-mass from the ships. Armored dragons of green, blue, brown, bronze, and even gold flooded to the fight. And their carriers followed close at hand. Greens and Blues broke off to hunt the fighters, Browns went for the bombers, and Bronze guarded the Gold as they flew at the ships that dwarfed them. But the Spiders knew that their size didn't matter a thing to these demons of death. Gold dragons, as they flew by utilized their telekinetic powers. Invisible shields shrugged off counter-battery fire as if they were play darts. Then they struck back, invisible knives seemed to puncture the destroyers. Then as the Gold dragons sped past the knife sliced the ship that could destroy any other Human ship with laughable ease in half. Containment shields were sliced open and the entire thing vanished in a blinding flash of light. And slowly the Spider fleet was sent through a grinder. As greens and Blues flew past the fighters they blew them apart through their shielding. As Browns passed the much larger bombers they ripped them to pieces. The Bronzes flew close to the Gold dragons and obliterated anything that came close. And between everything was the Silver Flight. Pure white dragons flitted from one place to another, their silver armor making them seem like they weren't truly there. They demolished fighter and bomber with ease, crippled ships as they passed. Hunting their real target. But when the two Mirage Fighters appeared their close-range weaponry went through draconic shielding to kill the beasts. Gold, Bronze, Brown, Blue, and Green, all screamed in agony as their armor was punctured and they exploded as the vacuum of space laid hands on them. 'Silver' Dragons flashed to their rescue. Most were too late. Their very targets killed others. One died before the Mirage Fighters could kill off the only dragons in the attack force that stood a chance against them. But then the small well defended ship all the Spiders knew meant death appeared from the depths of the Pernease fleet. Battle-class carrier the Lessa a midget among Titans carried a lone dragon. The New Breed…

The platform started lowering with a jerk. R'gent barely noticed. He seemed to notice the launch procedures less and less each time. But as the thing rotated he could see through his visor down the launch tube, Archon was restless… and so was he. His dragon took up the position required and R'gent watched the straps hitch into the slot between the wing sail and body. The rider leaned forward and allowed the locking mechanisms to make him vanish into the back armor. But he could still see perfectly fine through his mental link with Archon, "Count down! 5… 4… 3… 2… 1… LAUNCH!" R'gent felt the gravity of the ship suck him against Archon's back as the beast was fired out of the tube at well over 9 Gs. Then a soft voice hummed the command word for the two and his senses left his control like they always did when they went into battle-mode.

Norah and the two greens under her direct command burst out of the launch tube as the New Breed did. Lylith, Aith, and Regarld were the ones tasked with keeping the New Breed out of trouble. The 19 year old sighed as the warriors made a hard turn towards where the Mirage Fighter was last spotted. "Come on! We got to keep up with him, we'll lose more then just our skins if he dies!" Wasn't that the truth?

_He's destroyed the fighter!_Norah's head snapped around as Archon fell upon the ship. She watched as it slowly disintegrated. _The way is open! Attack!_

The command was relayed to the riders who could not directly commune with other dragons. The FPS fleet surged forward, the last of the Spider's ships trying to hold their waning ground. The Perneese fleet sped past them. As they passed the remaining ships they tore them to shreds. Telekinetic blade rains bite deep into the hull of the enemy ships. Norah urged Lylith forward and the greens followed. Taking up a wide margin around Archon the flood of dragons entered the atmosphere of the planet. The sight of almost eight thousand dragons was a truly breath taking sight, even for the dragons them selves. As the re-entry started the beasts entered their most vulnerable state. Shields down so they could focus on keeping from vanishing into a puff of smoke as their armor change to allow combat inside the atmosphere. Locks loosened on Norah, letting her sit up a little straighter, and she watched in fascination as the mask that supplied her life-mate oxygen folded back to release jaws, armor folded in to allow the wing sails to catch the air, and release her limbs. Now the dragons were back in their element.

R'gent had been through over fifty planetary incursions since he was paired with Archon. He had barely been out of the cradle when the experiments had started. No one knew how he and his friend had survived the treatments. Dragon eggs had wilted or just exploded under the stress. The trials had started with eighty eggs and ninety humans, all children. For R'gent's life he was trained in tactics, hand-to-hand combat, all weapons and much, much more. On his fifteenth birthday his last clutch-brother had died during a routine examination. They had watched as eggs on the hatching ground died, and had watched as their brothers and sisters died. Some wilted and shriveled like they had aged, other just suddenly bloated up like a balloon. Yet he and Yamaha had survived. They felt remorse for their dead friends, but couldn't help but look forward to the last two eggs on the hatching ground. The last day had come and they were in for their last inspection that heralded the end of their training. Every one was in light spirits. He and Yamaha were practically sizzling with energy. But when they sat on the tables for blood tests he had watched his last friend die.

The moment would live on with him for as long as R'gent lived. First he broke out into a scream, and then bloated up like many others had. Then before disbelieving eyes he suddenly seemed to get sucked in and turned into literally skin and bones. R'gent had cried out in despair as his friend's skin disintegrated.

_I am with you._Archon's easy reassurance was welcome. After the testing there were still two eggs left, and he was afraid of getting two dragons. If he did then he wouldn't have been able to live with it. Yet the second one never hatched and when it was dissected the finding were horrifying. The youngling inside the egg had wilted down near the start of the tests. _I wouldn't of minded sharing you, but I understand what you mean._

The armor change completed it's self and the red shield of re-entry vanished as the hordes of dragons entered the atmosphere completely. Now is the time Archon! It was still a trifle early to try attacking because the dragons hadn't gotten their shields up yet… but the Spiders were faster. Anti-air weapons suddenly filled the air with the screams of dieing dragons. R'gent, not rebooted yet was forced to watch as dragons all around him were blasted to spectral bits. His view shot sideways to where Norah always found her way. Spotting the golden Lylith he began to breath easier… until green Regarld was suddenly vaporized. R'gent stared at the small spoof of dust until Archon cried out. Spinning back forward he had only an instant to see the flash of blue, and then his friend's pain flooded over him knocking him unconscious.

Norah shielded her eyes to the blinding flash of light that enveloped Regarld and N'mer. When her vision returned her breath left her instead. Archon was in freefall his eyes closed, but when he rotated to where she and Lylith could get a look at his chest did they realize why. A massive bloodied gash stretched from neck to hip. _Lylith! Aith! Archon is wounded and out cold!_ Her scream was relayed to _FNS Lessa_ before the green and gold flew to their rescue. _Lylith! Take us some place safe! All six of us! Quickly!_ She didn't picture a specific place hoping to the creators that her love could discern for her self. Then the numbness of between clouded her senses.

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Most of that I wrote when I was bored and sleepy. Sound sorta lame but I think it has potential. Hope you like it! xD


	2. Ansestors

Hello again, for those who care: yes I might make a couple different stories for back stories, but until then your stuck with this thing. I know: it sucks. But hell, what would you do if your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson fell from the sky right in front of you on a dragon seven times the size of yours?

And yes all the dragons still have riders. I just haven't put up all their names. And why Archon has his name the engineers could never piece together, not even R'gent.

Disclaimer: Wouldn't it be cool if I did own the series? Probably not… I'd love the money though, rofl.

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**Chapter Two: Ancestors**

The cold of _between_ was heart stopping. That's what Norah always thought about it, her heart skipped beats whenever they jumped. She knew it would be the death of her if the war weren't. This jump seemed longer the others… _Lylith? Is something wrong?_

Her reply was hesitant, _No, I know nothing is wrong but… I pictured the plains of Keroon. I still am._ Norah felt her soul chill. Were they lost? If they were was it her fault? She had not visualized a location when they had made the jump. What do they do now?

…………………..

F'Lar watched as the last clumps of thread were seared from the sky. He had been fighting thread for years, and had accomplished many feats he was proud of. He looked over the wings of Benden weyr again. They were a great two hundred strong. He could spot Lessa from the Queen's wing thanks to Ramoth's size. He laughed to himself.

_You OK?_ His life long friend asked. _You've been silent for a while._

_Don't worry my friend; I'm just remembering everything we've done in the past fifty years._ He grinned as Mnemmenth scoffed. The wings were forming up for a jump back to Benden Weyr, there were hardly any wounded in this pass. Things would finally quite down some… Then he hard a loud echo, and a bright flash blurred his vision. Looking to where it came from he gasped in disbelief. Three titanic dragons plummeted to the earth. All covered in a glimmering metal. He easily noticed the green, witch was the smallest of the three, and a gold, whose skin was showing through the armor. Then he noticed the last was white, armor covering most of its body, and was obviously out cold. _What on Pern?_

First thing Norah registered was that Archon and R'gent were still out. Second thing was that they were out of _between_. Then she started having Lylith relay orders. _Lylith! We got one shot at this! Have Aith take him by the wings; we'll grab his waist and chest!_

Both dragons folded their wings back so they could catch up to the falling form, rotating about Archon like an aerial dance. Once they were in position, they latched on. Aith wrapped her claws around the wing joints that held them to the main body and Lylith wrapped her arms around Archon's chest and waist. _Now! Heave!_ As one both the dragons thrust up. The change wasn't immediate and the strain was obvious. Carrying one's white, the weight of the armor, and another with armor was not easy. Norah fed what strength she could into her dragon. Then the form started to angle upward.

F'Lar watched as the events unfolded. The massive dragons fell at a unbelievable velocity. Yet, slowly but surely the angle of their decent changed, but far too slow. The three dragons collided with the ground; an impact that flung the green like a rag doll, and the gold end over end. The white one took the worst beating; it's armor disintegrated. The wings went limp and he rolled for a good mile, gouging out ditches and small chasms. The green collided with a stand of trees that stopped her from rolling far, and the gold crashed into several hills that did the same for her as the trees did for the green. All three were bleeding form the impact. _Mnemmenth! Tell the dragons to tell their riders to split up and aid those three! We're going for the gold._ The bronze replied and angled towards the fallen gold. Distractedly he noticed Lessa do the same with Ramoth. By the time they landed the gold was waking up, stumbling slightly. She didn't seem to notice the smaller dragons at first who were a fifth her size, but instead started looking around franticly.

F'Lar looked to Lessa, who walked over to him, "I think she's looking for her rider." At that moment the dragon bugled in relief and dipped her head to where her head was previously resting. She drew it out with a figure limply clinging to her snout, eyes whirling a worried orange. The riders who accompanied them followed as Lessa and F'lar made their way to the new rider, "You ok?"

Norah was sure her leg was broken, but what she wasn't sure of was if any of her ribs were. At the sudden query she spun around, leg screaming in protest. Falling to on knee she snatched out her arm blade and held it to the two figures in front of her. The blade aloud her to focus the telekinetic power she had from the bond with her dragon into a sharp blade that could cut nearly everything. Lylith had other ideas; she reached forward with a claw and pressed her hand down. Norah looked at her, "You trust them?"

She nodded; _they have dragons… I did something I shouldn't have done before we jumped._

"What did you do?" The age-old query that had become seemingly a daily routine wither life partner brought a slight smile to her lips. But then the worry in her tone wiped it away.

_I think I might have timed it…_

Norah dropped her blade. "You what?"

Lessa watched the exchange intently. When the dragon said she had timed it Lessa nearly burst with outrage. "Timing it is forbidden!" she nearly screeched. F'Lar looked at her in bewilderment, as did the rest of the riders. The girl looked at her. She wasn't surprised that she could hear her dragon.

"You a Speaker?" When Lessa just looked at her with a confused expression she sighed, "Do you know how far back we timed it love?" The sad query for her dragon rankled Lessa. They hadn't meant to time it. The dragon replied with a weary no. The girl turned back to Lessa, "What time is this?"

She traded glances with F'lar before she answered. "This is the Ninth Pass of the Red Star." The girl stared at her, as did the dragon. She backed up until she bumped into her dragon's snout and fell to her knees.

"T-The ninth pass? No, no, no, no! We shouldn't be here!" The girl rounded on her dragon, "Lylith! How could you! How could we? No one has ever survived a jump thought time more then two thousand years! Yet we jumped over fourteen millennia! How will we ever get back? How are we supposed to keep the secrets from the future quite now? Any thing we can say could ruin everything!" She started crying, and seemed surprised she could. The latter only lasted a few seconds before she folded up and tangled her fingers into her hair. The gold turned to Lessa.

_I'm sorry, but we had barely escaped a fight with our lives. We're soldiers; our task is to keep the New Breed out of trouble, Archon and R'gent. They are the only survivors of the experiment. Yet they have flaws, some well some bad._ She shook her massive head and cradled her rider in her paws.

Lessa grimaced, "What are your names? And what is so special about Archon and R'gent?"

The dragon looked to her rider, who nodded slightly, "I guess the only thing we have to hope on is that no one remembers what we've said in the next fourteen millennia." The dragon gave a soft chuckle.

_My name is Lylith: my rider is Norah._ Lessa relayed the information for the other's benefit. _Archon and R'gent are genetically enhanced soldiers; pretty much just weapons._ Her eyes whirled slightly faster and changed colors indicating she thought differently. _My rider has fallen in love with R'gent… And matter or what you say I love Archon and there's nothing any one can do about it. I will let him alone fly me and go _between _away from any other who thinks they can keep up with me._

The dragon scoffed and started rambling on to her self as Norah wiped away her tears and stepped up to F'lar and Lessa, "Sorry about crying. I know soldiers shouldn't cry at times like this, but I couldn't stop my self."

F'Lar laid a hand on her shoulder, "Its ok with us. We're just worried about you."

Norah gave a small smile. Then jerked her head up, "What happen to Archon and Aith? Where are R'gent and M'ral?" Her suddenly query jerked everyone back to the present.

They found that the green got away from the crash with minor damage. Only her wing was wounded badly, with a tree stick through it. Lylith had a few minor cuts but nothing serious. Archon was the last to be checked on. Norah stopped short. "You ok Norah?"

She looked to the weyrwoman and sighed, "He was badly wounded in the fight. So I don't know how this crash is going to affect him." Lessa nodded encouragingly. Then together they all walked towards the still unmoving form that had ichors spilling from many wounds that resulted from the crash.

"I don't see the wound he suffered from the fight…" F'Lar frowned.

Norah stepped forward and ran a hand across bare hide, "He's laying on it… We have to get him to a healer. I'm not sure how bad of a wound he truly suffered." Stepping around the large wing she headed to the neck and found R'gent laying a few feet away from his dragon. Drawing him up onto her shoulder she turned to Lessa and F'lar, "Would you help us?" They nodded and she sighed in relief.

It took a few hours but Lylith was able to flip Archon into a more manageable position and lift him. Aith could barely lift her self but they were able to remove the tree from her wing. When Norah was mounted on Lylith with an unconscious R'gent draped in front of her and Archon in her dragon's embrace she signaled to F'lar that she was ready. He gave the age old single that carried on to even her time and all the dragons lifted into the air. Then as one they transferred _between_ to Benden wyer.

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OK, that sounded lame... to me at least. Reviews are greatly apreciated. Some day I might make some back stories for the war and other things, untill then I need to find a way to get my hands on the dragon Riders of Pern series again xD


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